For Sale: 1931 Rolls-Royce Phantom I in Saint Louis, Missouri

Like the 40/50 HP Silver Ghost before it, the Rolls-Royce New Phantom was produced at Rolls-Royce's home in Crewe, while cars destined for the USA were assembled at Rolls-Royce of America's Springfield, Massachusetts plant. Springfield Phantoms accounted for 1,241 of the 3,453 Phantom I chassis produced, and when demand was at its peak, Rolls-Royce of America purchased the legendary coachbuilder Brewster & Co. of New York. The firm became the exclusive supplier of catalog coachwork for Springfield-built Phantoms through the dissolution of Rolls-Royce of America in the mid-1930s.
Brewster offered a vast array of open and closed designs ranging from sporty to formal, each customizable to suit the whims of buyers. At the latter end of the scale sat the gorgeous Newport Town Car. Named for the gilded age town of Newport, Rhode Island, where undoubtedly many Rolls-Royce clients called home, the eponymous town car was a particularly fetching style, with sweeping fenders, a raked windscreen, and a graceful sweep of the cowl to bonnet line. It is among the most elegant of town car styles from Brewster, officially a Phantom II design, but it appeared on a few late P1 chassis.
Chassis S216PR is an outstanding example of Brewster's Newport Town Car on the Phantom I chassis, presented here in superb condition with a beautifully maintained restoration. This striking motor car is well documented with nearly six decades spent in the hands of devoted marque enthusiasts. Records compiled by marque historian John Webb de Campi show this late-production chassis is from the final group of approximately 25 Phantom I models completed in Springfield, and a photo of the car appears on plate 229 in de Campi's book Rolls-Royce in America. It was first delivered to a New York client, Mr. Max A. Schlesinger, an international hotel magnate, founder of General Talking Pictures, and rights owner of the influential Phonofilm sound-on-film process invented by Lee de Forest. He lived at the swanky Savoy-Plaza Hotel in Manhattan, where his elegant Rolls-Royce undoubtedly looked right at home. It is noted that de Campi erroneously credits him as the creator of Porky Pig cartoons, which is Leon Schlesinger, not Max.
Records compiled by the Rolls-Royce Foundation pick up in 1951 when S216PR was owned by Richard Blanchard of Morristown, New Jersey. Blanchard sold it the following year to Robert H. Babcox of Mentor, Ohio, who enjoyed the car in club events throughout the Midwest until 1964, when he, in turn, sold it to fellow Ohioans Don and Audrey Fowler. The Fowlers lovingly tended to S216PR for the next 30 years, using it on tours and events around the country.
In 1996, S216PR came into the care of its most recent owner, whose stewardship again lasted nearly 30 years. At the 2002 Rolls-Royce Owner's Club annual meet, it won the coveted Guerrero award for the best personal mechanical restoration and secured first in class. The Newport has clearly lived a charmed life, as evidenced by its superb condition, original body numbers found in the woodwork, and its numbers-matching engine.
Handsomely presented today in an appropriate all-black livery, S216PR the older restoration is finished to a high standard, displaying a high degree of authenticity. Traditionally for formal cars, the driver's compartment is upholstered in black leather, which is beautifully restored and now shows only light creasing from gentle use. Lucky rear passengers enjoy luxurious wool broadcloth on the large bench, door cards, and folding opera seats, which appear virtually unused. The interior is wonderfully detailed with a warm and inviting character throughout the front and rear compartments. Similarly, presentation of the grand 7.7-liter inline-six is excellent, displaying authentic finishes and only light signs of occasional enjoyment.
Ranking among Brewster's most elegant creations, the Newport Town car exemplifies the glamour and sophistication of the 1930s, and this superb example will undoubtedly be a welcome addition to any collection.

Offers welcome and trades considered